Cotter-pin-spreading tool



April 3; 1928.

A. GIRARD coTTER PIN SPREADING TooL Filed March 18. 1927' Fi G.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY jy April 3, 192s. 1,664,619 A. GIRARD coTTER PIN SPREADING Toot.

Filed March 1a. 1927 2 sneets-sneet 2 IN VENTOR.

fthe tool and release of'the holding means.

Patented Apr. 3, 1928.

l UNITED *STATESA PATENT ,oi-Fica l AMaenner GIRARD, oFcANIsTEo, NEW YORK;

' y ooT'riiRIN-SPREADING AToor..

Application led March 18`,k 192'?. Serial No. 176,494.

which is extremelysimple and durable in.

construction aswell as efficient in operation.

A. further object is to provide a cotterfpin spreading tool of simple and efficient form including a wedge member adapted to be manually forced between the legs of a cotter-pin to initiallyspread the same, hinged members normally disposed against the tapering sides of thewedge member to pass with the latter between the Cotter-pin legs, and manually operable means for swinging said hinged members Youtwardly and downwardly relative. to the wedge member for completing the spreading operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a tool of the above kind wherein i'he wedge member 'constitutes the tapered end of a plunger slidably carried by Van operating hand and adapted to be projected relative to said handle to eifect the normal positioning of said hinged members against the sides ofthe wedgemembers, the handle being further equipped with means for holding the plunger in projected position and releasable to permit the plunger to telescope into the handle whereby the hinged members are swung outwardly anddownwardly for completing the spreading operation upon application of pressure to the handle while the holding means. is released.

A still further object is to provide means for normally yieldingly projecting the plunger relative to the-handle Yso that7 the only manual operation necessary in the use of the ltool is the application of pressure to A still further object is to provide simple operative connections between the handlev and the hinged meinbersfor automatically causing the latter to be normally'disposed against the tapered sides of the wedge member when the plunger is projected and.V to

cause forcible outward and downward swinging of said hinged members upon release of the plunger relative to thehandle and application of pressure to the handle to ward the Cotter pin. Other obJects will become apparent as the nature ofthe invention is better understood,

and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed. i

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Fig. l is a central longitudinal sectional View vof a cotterjpinfspreading tool constructed in accordance with the'present inn vention and in its' normal condition` with the plunger held in projected position and with its wedge member or tapered end entered between the legs of a cotter pin to initially f spread the same; f

Fig. 2'is a view somewhat similar to Fig. l illustrating the tool with the plunger telescoped into the handle Yas effected'by applyf ing pressure to the vhandle in'a .direction tovward 'the cotteiyp'in after release of ythe plunger, and showing the hinged members swung outwardly anddownwardly withthe cotter p1n in finally spread condition;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the Vtool as shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 isa similar view thereof with the handle and the plunger guiding pin and pro# jecting spring removed;

F ig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the hingedmembers detached and their operating connections removed so that this view is substantially a side elevational view of the plunger lookingat a tapered side of its Wedge member or point; i f

4Fig. ris atop plan view of the plunger shown in Fig. 5; l

Fig. 7 is an elevational View looking toward the left of Fig. 5;

`Figure 8is atransverse section taken substantially uponline 8-8 of F ig.-1; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken upon line 9-9 of Fig. l. f

Referring more Vin detail to the drawings,

* Figs. 8 and 9. Snugly fitted in the handle 5 is arU-shaped frame 7 the intermediate connecting` portion 8 kof which is disposed inV contact with the inner face of the end Wall 6 of the'handle 5, and the leg portions of which extend longitudinally of the handle in lcontact with opposite sides of the bore thereof.k VThe legs oftheframe 7 are in spaced parallel relation and project through and beyond the open outer end of the handle as indicated at 9, while suitable means is provided for fastening the frame 1in place within the handle, such as screws passing transversely through the handle at a .plu-v rality of points and threaded into suitable sockets provided in the-outer sides of the legs of the frame 7 as clearly shown 1n Figs. 1, 3, and 9. In order to provide a rigid durable construction and to facilitate assembly of the parts, the handle 5 is provided with opposed ylongitudinal internal ribs 11,

`and the legs of the frame 7 are formed in the outer side thereof with longitudinal grooves 12 adapted Ato snugly .slidably engage the ribs 11 when the frame 7 is slid 'into' the handlethrough the open end of the latter. lIf desired, the closed end of thev handle 5 may be slightly reduced in diameter and externally threaded so as to receive faxdetachable protecting cap 13 having a Arounded external` end surface so that pressure may be applied to the end of the handle ,inoperating the tool, without causing dis- ;comfort to the user.

An-elongated plunger 14 of general rec- Itangular form in cross section is slidably disposed between thelegsof the frame 7 yfor Vmovement longitudinally of the handle 5,

andthe opposite sides of this plunger 14 are recessed as at 15 substantially from end to end to snugly slidably receive the legs of the frame 7 as indicated in several of the views. Therecessed sides ofthe plunger 14 are 'formed with central longitudinal undercut grooves 16 which extend from thefintermediate portion of the plunger to the upper endthereof, and rigid with the inner sides ofthelegs of the frame Y7 `are ribs 17 adapted to slidably engage in the grooves 16 for 'f effectively guiding the plunger 14 in its sliding movement relative to the handle and frame, and to furnish a construction which is generally rigid and durable as 4well as lbraced to avoid relative lateral play of the parts.

The recessed sides of the plunger 14 are vtaperedas at 18, to a. point, 'thus forming a wedge member 19 'of the outer end of the plunger, as shown. Disposed in therecessed portions lof .the tapered sides 18 of wedge member 19 lare members 2() which are hinged l at' their outer or lower ends to the wedge 'member 19 upon transverse parallel axes jso that 'they may be lswung outwardly and downwardly orforwardly asV shown in Figure 2 Yfrom their normal positionswithin .the recessed portions as illustrated in Fig. 1;

The inner or upper ends 4of the hinged members 2O are operatively connected to the kadjacent free ends of the Ilegs of frame 7 as by means of links 21, the 'inner ends of which Aare Vhingedto the free ends of the vle'gsof frame 7, 'and the outerends 4of which kare hinged ntofthe adjacentafreefends of the hinged members 20. It will Vthus vbe seen that each pair of connected members 2O and -21 lforms substantially a toggle joint nor- `mally partly broken so that upon forcing the iframe -7 longitudinally of the plunger 14 toward the point or wedge member 19 of lthe llatter, the members 20 will loeA swung outwardly and downwardly from the posi- `tion of Fig. 1 to the jposition of'Fig. 2. It

will also be seen 'that upon 'relative Ysliding movement of the members 5 and 7 on the one hand and tliemember 14 on the other hand, in a direction away from-each. other, the members 20'willbe swung upwardly into engagement with'fthe tapered sides of the wedge member19 and within the recessporltion of the'latter, while vtheilink 2O will be 'retracted into engagementL with the parallel sides of plunger 14 within the adjacent por` tions ofthe recesses 15A of the latter.l

The plungerj-14 normally yieldingly projected and for this -purpose, a spring Vpreferably'oi' helical formand ofthe compression type as vindicated at 22 is inter-k 'releasablyholding the plunger 14 in its'n'or- 'mal projected `relation to the handlel as `shown in Fig. '1. y`This means preferably lconsists `of a resilient stripofmetal V25 Vfas- Yt-ened"`to""the outside of thepliandle "5 and havinga free lend carrying alatchV pin 26 which slidably projects through the liandle 5 and is normally cause'dibyfthe yresil-ient Y strip25 toenter, aside socket 27 Provided in the plunger14 so las to registerfwiththe pinx26 when'the plunger is'projected.

In operation, thepartsiare `normallrvjdisposed' as shown in LFig. 11 withthe" Aplunger 134 'heldfprojeetetliby the pin26. WV-ith the parts in this positionthe `wedge member 19 is inserted Vbetweenthe yfreeendl .portions of the 'cotter pin legs, whereupon pressure is appli-ed upon thehandle 6 while held in "the hands so as'to force-'the-jlatter `longitudinallytoward the work l through which the cotter-pin Cextends. 'Inf'this way the wedge member 19;is caused lto completely enter between theproj ecting end portions of the cotter pin legs'so .asfto initially spread the same as shown in'Fig. 1.`Tlie pin 26 isY then `released byl springing thexresilientfstrip 25 outwardly "or I away "from the/handle 5,

vand whiie this pin is held released 'a farther AThisforces forwardly or downwardly upon the link 21 and the latter, by reason of their connection with the hinged spreading member 20, cause the latter to swingoutwardly and forwardly or downwardly, thereby pressing the ends of the cotter pin legs further apart andeffecting aiinal spreading action thereof las illustrated inFig. 2. As soon as the pressure is relieved from the'handle the spring 22 will immediately return the handle to normal position wherein thel plunger is projected relativev tothe handle, and the pin 26 automatically snaps into the socket 27 to hold the parts in 'this position, at the same time'retainingV the members 2O and link 21 in the portions of the recesses 15 at the tapered sides of the wedge member 19 and the parallel sides of the plunger 14, to which .positions said members 20" and 21 are automatically brought by reason of their'connectionwith the legs of the frame 7 that moves vwith the handle 5 rrelative to the plunger 14. j Y

From the foregoing description it isbelieved that the construction and operation as wellas the advantages of the present invention will be readily 'understood and:

'appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may e made without departing from the spirit and scope of the in vention as claimed. g

-Vhat I` claim as new is l1. A Cotter-pin spreading tool including a wedge member, spreading members hinged at the tapered sides of thewedge member to swing outwardly and forwardly relative to the latter, and means for swinging said spreading members.

2. A cotter-pin spreading tool including a wedge member, spreading members hinged at the tapered sides of the wedge member to swing outwardly and forwardly relative to the latter, and means for swinging said spreading members, said tapered sides of the wedge member being recessed to normally receive the spreadingl members when the latter are in inoperative rearwardly and inwardly swung position. l

3. A cotter-pin spreading tool including a wedge member, spreading members hinged at the tapered sides of the wedge member to swing outwardly and forwardly relative to the lattermeans for swinging said spreading members, and a plunger having a tapered end forming said wedge member, said last named means embodying a handle member slidable on the plunger' and operatively connected to the spreading members.

4. A cotter-pin spreading tool including a wedge member, spreading members hinged at' the tapered sides of the wedge member to swingoutwardly and r'forwardly relative -to the latter, means for swinging said spreading members, a plunger having a tapered'end forming said wedge member, said 'last named means' embodying' a handle member slidable on the plunger and operativelyl connectedV to the spreading members, yieldable means normally projecting said plunger relative to the handle, and means to releasably hold the plunger projected.

A'6. A Cotter-pin spreading tool including al wedge member, spreading members hinged atathe tapered sidesv of the wedge member to swing outwardly and forwardly relative to the latter, means for swinging said spread-I mg members, 'a plunger having a tapered `end forming sa'idwedge membe1,fsa1d last named means embodying a handle member slidable on the plunger and operatively: connected to the spreading members, yieldable means normally projecting said plunger relativevto the handle, and means to releasably hold the plunger projected, said holding means'embodying a-catch carried by the handle and engaged with the plunger.

7. A Cotter-pin spreading tool including a hollow handle, a plunger slidable therein, a spring normally projecting the plunger relative to the handle, a wedge member rigid with the outer end of the plunger, means to releasably hold the plunger projected, eX- pansible spreading means embodying laterally movable members at the tapered sides of the wedge member, and means operatively connecting the laterally movable members with the handle to cause expansion of said members when the handle and plunger are moved relatively toward each other.

8. A cotter-pin spreading tool including 

